BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 June 1924, Page 5

BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

ADMIRAL JELLICOE’S FART

A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Trafalgar, f>Yst October, 1805; Tsushima, 2 1 tit iVtay. 1005; .Juliana, 3ist May, 11)1(5—t-lie world’s three greatest naval battles. It is eight years ago since Jutland —the greatest naval battle ;n history—was fought. One hundred years separated Trafalgar from Tsushima; ll years only separated Jutland from Tsu-shima. Between the battles of Trafalgar and Tsa-shiina there had been only two ileet actions on a. large scale—those of Lissn and the Vain; the first before the wooden vessel had disappeared and the rifled gun had become universal. " Admiral Jellicoe went into Jutland’s terrific conflict with, infinitely greater responsibilities than .Nelson at Trafalgar; Rozhdestvensky or Togo at- Tsushima, writes E. George Markes in the Sydney Stm. Nelson was in command of but one section of the British Fleet; the combined forces vanquished by him did not represent th? entire sea power of France and Spain. The defeat of Nelson would not necessarily have meant the passing of British sea supremacy ; other British squadrons would have been concentrated to challenge Napoleon and his S]wtnish ally. UifVeient it was at Jutland—practically all Britain’s battle units of veal fighting utility were for the first time in England's hisory. assembled under a single Commander-in-Cliief. Jellicoe took with him into Jutland’s momentous struggle the fate of the British Empire of the world’s liberty. The tri_ iiniph.s of Admirals von Hipper and von Seheer at Jutland would have changed the map of the world; changed Australia’s heritage as queen of the Southern Seas. Jutland was not as decisive ta.s Trafalgar; as convincing as Tsushima; still Jellicoe and Beatty saved the Empire—the world—Admirals von Hipper and von Seheer. with the Gerj man high seas fleet were constrained I to .retreat.

From various aimie.s this gigantic battle will be discussed as long as history is recorded. Enemy historians will be forced to admit that on June I, 191G —already renowned in British annals—the German high seas fleet had given up the battle area to Jellicoe and Beatty. Four hundred miles from its bases —in the waters of the high seas fleet, close to the enemy’s harbours—the British Fleet waited till 11 a.m. on June 1 ; the German fleet broken, dispirited, had no intention of rejoining battle; the enemv was in precipitate flight to his bases. Under cover of darkness the German fleet fled : the British Fleet was burning with desire to rejoin the battle. Admiral Jellicoe had been criticised for not annihilating the high seas fleet; easy it is for those without responsibility to criticise. Remember his unexampled responsibility on historic .31st Slav. He and Beatty bad so so- ; verely punished the high seas fleet that; it had id boat a precipitate retreat. Jellicoe is now New Zealand’s Gov-ernor-General. No doubt his mind went back on June 1 to the gigantic conflict of eight years ago; to the deaths ol gallant Admirals Hood and Arbnthnoi; the blowing up of the Queen Mniv—an enemy salvo sunk her in one minute: the loss of the Indefatigable— struck on a turret over a well-filled ma lazine, she went down within five minutes: the loss of many of his gallant captains and men. Jellij one’s vigil before the high seas fleet | ventured out." was a long one; not so | long as Nelson’s vigil before the Battle j of Trafalgar;, he watched the Toulon

fleet for more than two years. .Jutland was fought within 22 months of the outbreak of the Great "War. The loss of the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 —the same year as Trafalgar—broke the Kaiser’s heart. With England still Mistress of the Seas he saw that Germany must be beaten. The Day had come —the fleet was unequal to it. Corollary to .Jutland’s light was the swinging of the naval pendulum from the North Sea to the Pacific —hence Australia’s interest in t'he anniversary of the world’s most gigantic naval clash.